Jesus wants the best for us. The enemy of our soul does not. As we celebrate this Father’s Day, I will use my acronym R.A.I.N. to help readers understand the difference.

R-Jesus wants us to rest on the Sabbath.

“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:11 ESV).

Let’s encourage one another to rest on the Sabbath day. Ask the Lord who needs that reminder from you this week and then remind the person.

R-The enemy of our soul wants us to be restless.

“But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:18 ESV).

How can we encourage one another to tame the tongue? We never know who’s listening. And little ones will repeat what they hear.

A-Jesus Wants Us to Abide in Him.

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples“ (John 8:31 ESV).

To abide means to remain, to stay in, or dwell in. We can remain or stay in Jesus’ word through daily Bible reading, memorizing and reviewing Bible verses, or drawing pictures of the verses to help us remember them.

A-The enemy of our soul wants us to be afraid.

“When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 20:1 ESV).

Troubles may be physical, emotional, verbal, financial, or spiritual. How often do you and I praise God for all the times he brought us through trouble? We can keep a journal of those times or tell a friend about them.

Sometimes, I’ve cried first because of techie frustrations, called my brother for help, and then gone to God.

I-Jesus Wants to Help Us Identify Our Purpose.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 ESV).

Change can challenge us. We all have a purpose on earth. If we ask Jesus for help, he will help us identify our purpose. He will also help us fulfill it.

I-The Enemy of our Soul Wants to Instigate Trouble.

“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell” (Numbers 33:55 ESV).

My grandma used to say, “Don’t even look the enemy’s way. You’ll get in trouble.” A few days ago, I looked the enemy’s way but repented and turned away quickly. I hopped on a writers’ group and enjoyed the fellowship and exchange of ideas. The next time that happened, I hopped on an online group for advanced writers and speakers. During one of the drawings, I won a book and a folding travel bag similar to my laptop bag. I also look at photos and videos of my two  honorary grandsons.

How have you avoided trouble?

N-Jesus Wants to Navigate.

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1 ESV).

I pray daily that I will believe in God and in Jesus. I tell Jesus each day that he needs to navigate my life not me. I’m along for the ride.

N-The Enemy Wants Us to Nose-dive.

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15 ESV).

When I sense a failure to obtain God’s grace, I sing praise choruses or hymns to my heavenly Father. I also pray God’s best for the other person, so that no root of bitterness springs up. That is harder to do but not impossible.

Internal Link: https://yvonneortega.com/thank-you-dad-and-mentors 

External Link: debbiewwilson.com/jesus-as-our-shield/  

Prayer: Jesus, thank you so much that you want what is best for me in the long run. I trust you and embrace your best.

Next Step: Please feel free to leave a comment on this article. Thank you. I will answer you as soon as possible.